Today's hottest deals
WDWD20EFRX
WDWD20PURX

Release date: Q3 2012.

Release date: Q3 2014.

Real World Speed
Performance profile from 83,485 user samples
64,359 User Benchmarks
Best Bench: 86% 2TB free
Worst Bench: 45% 2TB free (System drive)
Poor: 45% Great: 86%
SPEED RANK: 148th / 1014
19,126 User Benchmarks
Best Bench: 86% 2TB free
Worst Bench: 39% 122GB free
Poor: 39% Great: 86%
SPEED RANK: 153rd / 1014
Effective Speed
Effective HDD Speed
66.4 % +0% 66.2 %
Read
Avg. Sequential Read Speed
119 MB/s +3% 116 MB/s
Write
Avg. Sequential Write Speed
112 MB/s 115 MB/s +3%
4K Read
Avg. 4K Random Read Speed
0.8 MB/s Slightly faster random read.
+8%
0.74 MB/s
4K Write
Avg. 4K Random Write Speed
2.27 MB/s +1% 2.25 MB/s
Mixed
Avg. Sequential Mixed IO Speed
72.6 MB/s Faster mixed IO speed.
+17%
62.2 MB/s
4K Mixed
Avg. 4K Random Mixed IO Speed
0.89 MB/s 0.89 MB/s
SusWrite
Avg. Sustained Write Speed
112 MB/s 115 MB/s +3%
Read
Peak Sequential Read Speed
155 MB/s +2% 152 MB/s
Write
Peak Sequential Write Speed
144 MB/s 148 MB/s +3%
4K Read
Peak 4K Random Read Speed
1 MB/s Faster peak random read.
+11%
0.9 MB/s
4K Write
Peak 4K Random Write Speed
2.7 MB/s 2.7 MB/s
Mixed
Peak Sequential Mixed IO Speed
94.3 MB/s Faster peak mixed IO speed.
+19%
79 MB/s
4K Mixed
Peak 4K Random Mixed IO Speed
1 MB/s 1 MB/s
SusWrite
Peak Sequential Sustained Write 60s Average
148 MB/s 151 MB/s +2%
Market Share
Based on 53,933,490 HDDs tested
Market Share
Market Share (trailing 30 days)
0.24 % Hugely higher market share.
+85%
0.13 %
Value
Value For Money
34.5 % 39.5 % Better value.
+14%
User Rating
UBM User Rating
52 % 52 %
Price
Price (score)
$77 $67 Cheaper.
+13%
Age
Newest
148 Months 124 Months More recent.
+16%
Capacity
Capacity
2TB 2TB

The 2TB version of WD's Red NAS range of hard drives has a performance profile that is similar to that of its larger 3TB sibling. Both drives lag behind the group average significantly in terms of overall performance. With an average read speed of 108 MB/s the 2TB Red is 36% slower than the group leaders which manage an average of 147 MB/s. There is a huge amount of hype around the "NAS" aspects of these drives but there is very little substance in terms of specific characteristics that make this drive better suited to a NAS than any other. The obvious factors such as energy efficiency and operating temperature are only marginally improved on these drives. I would personally prefer one of the far better performing Seagate Barracudas as when looking at a direct comparison of the Barracuda vs the Red it's clear that the performance of the Barracuda is better across the board. [Feb '14 HDrivePro]

MORE DETAILS

The WD Purple is a surveillance drive with low power consumption and a design that's optimized for 24x7 operation. There is actually little beyond marketing that separates the Purple from the Red and Green drives. They all share almost identical hardware. The thing that does differentiate the Purple drives is their firmware which supports AllFrame, a surveillance specific feature. Allframe handles the cache in a way that is optimized for video streams. The AllFrame technology however is only enabled when used in conjunction with a supported host controller, most of which are only found in dedicated NVR (Network Video Recording) devices. As a result there is no benefit in using this drive in a HTPC to record video streams, because the surveillance specific functions won't be enabled. In terms of effective speed the Purple lags the new Red and Green drives by around 26%. [Oct '14 HDrivePro]

MORE DETAILS

Hard Drive Rankings (Price vs Performance) November 2024 HDD Rankings

We calculate effective speed which measures performance for typical consumers. Effective speed is adjusted by current cost per GB to yield value for money. Our calculated values are checked against thousands of individual user ratings. The customizable table below combines these factors to bring you the definitive list of top HDDs. [HDrivePro]

Group Test Results

  • Best user rated - User sentiment trumps benchmarks for this comparison.
  • Best value for money - Value for money is based on real world performance.
  • Fastest real world speed - Real World Speed measures performance for typical consumers.
How Fast Is Your HDD? (Bench your build) Size up your PC in less than a minute

Welcome to our PC speed test tool. UserBenchmark will test your PC and compare the results to other users with the same components. You can quickly size up your PC, identify hardware problems and explore the best value for money upgrades.

UserBenchmark of the month

How it works

  • - Download and run UserBenchmark
  • - CPU tests include: integer, floating and string
  • - GPU tests include: six 3D game simulations
  • - Drive tests include: read, write, sustained write and mixed IO
  • - RAM tests include: single/multi core bandwidth and latency
  • - SkillBench (space shooter) tests user input accuracy
  • - Reports are generated and presented on userbenchmark.com
  • - Identify the strongest components in your PC
  • - See speed test results from other users
  • - Compare your components to the current market leaders
  • - Explore your best upgrade options with a virtual PC build
  • - Compare your in-game FPS to other users with your hardware

 Frequently Asked Questions

 Best User Rated

Why does UserBenchmark have a bad reputation on reddit?
Marketers operate thousands of reddit accounts. Our benchmarks expose their spiel so they attack our reputation.
Why don’t PC brands endorse UserBenchmark?
Brands make boatloads on flagships like the 4090 and 14900KS. We help users get similar real-world performance for less money.
Why don’t youtubers promote UserBenchmark?
We don't pay youtubers, so they don't praise us. Moreover, our data obstructs youtubers who promote overpriced or inferior products.
Why does UserBenchmark have negative trustpilot reviews?
The 200+ trustpilot reviews are mostly written by virgin marketing accounts. Real users don't give a monkey's about big brands.
Why is UserBenchmark the gold standard for users?
Instead of pursuing brands for sponsorship, we've spent 13 years publishing real-world data for users.
The Best
CPUGPUSSD
Intel Core i5-12600K $159Nvidia RTX 4060 $295WD Black SN850X M.2 2TB $135
Intel Core i5-13600K $210Nvidia RTX 4060-Ti $380WD Black SN850X M.2 1TB $82
Intel Core i5-12400F $111Nvidia RTX 4070 $500Crucial T700 M.2 4TB $370
Today's hottest deals
If you buy something via a price link, UserBenchmark may earn a commission
About  •  User Guide  •  FAQs  •  Email  •  Privacy  •  Developer  •  YouTube Feedback